


The Blood Between Your Teeth

by Captain_of_the_sass



Series: Tumblr oneshots [12]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Academy Era, Angst, Bar fights, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-17
Updated: 2015-10-17
Packaged: 2018-04-26 18:09:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5014870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_of_the_sass/pseuds/Captain_of_the_sass
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Being friends with Jim Kirk was exhausting. </p><p> </p><p>Being Jim Kirk was even more exhausting.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Blood Between Your Teeth

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr prompt fill: "Shit, are you bleeding?!" - mckirk"

Being friends with Jim Kirk was a pain in the ass. Leonard should have known by now not to let the idiot out of his sight but the guy’s an _adult_ for Christ’s sake, he should be able to go ten minutes without getting himself into a heap of trouble. Unfortunately Jim Kirk was a magnet for trouble.

Leonard pinpointed Jim the moment he stepped into the bar, sitting at the counter and drinking lazily while some guy screamed at him. The guy grabbed Jim up by the collar and the goddamn moron _laughs_ right until the man’s fist connects with his face and then Leonard is running, shoving his way through the crowd of people laughing and cheering. Jim rights himself, scrubbing at the gash on his cheek and when he spots Leonard he has the nerve to break into a brilliant grin.

“You damn moron.” Leonard hissed under his breath. The guy from the counter is rearing his fist back for another go and Leonard stumbles the last few steps and practically throws himself in front of Jim, arms up in surrender.

“Hey, let’s all just calm down a minute.”

“You a friend of his?”

“Acquaintance.”

The punch in the face comes as a surprise. Leonard slumps a little, dazed, vaguely noting that Jim has thrown himself on the asshole with a snarl of rage. His ears are ringing, his head pounding.

“Bones? Talk to me, man, you alright?” and that’s Jim, blue eyes wide and worried.

“You’re an ass.” Leonard grinds out, shoving him away and stalking towards the door. Jim follows, bounding after him, wincing at the way his knuckles throb. Hardly ten feet out the door Leonard whirls and shoves Jim roughly, powerful enough that he staggers a step back.

“What the _hell_ were you thinking? Is this funny to you? Do you like being known as the guy who cant go two minutes without picking a fight?”

"Bones-”

“You know damn well my name’s not Bones. It’s Leonard McCoy, and you sure as hell better remember it. This can’t happen any more, Jim.” He gestures wildly to the bar, were the remnants of the fight are settling, “They will kick you out of the academy for this; do you even _care_?”

Jim explodes.

“ ** _YES_** , I fucking care, okay? Do you know how fucking hard it is to wake up every morning and and play nice with all those people? All our teachers and classmates and professors who don't give a single damn about me? I’ve tried to prove myself over and over again and it hasn’t done a goddamn thing. You think I don’t hear them whispering behind my back all the time?" his voice changed to an almost musical lilt as he mocked their peers, "~There goes George Kirk’s kid, I wonder what went wrong to make him such a _goddamn fuck-up_. so sue me for letting off a little _steam!_ ” Jim’s panting by the time he’s through, and that was wrong, that was a mistake. He hadn’t meant to let all that slip. Leonard stares at him because _what the hell do you say to that?_

Jim opens his mouth to let loose another foul string of words only to break off and blurt, “Shit, are you _bleeding?_ ”

Leonard touches a hand to his stinging lip. Huh. So he his. Jim mutters something under his breath and digs a napkin from his pocket.

“Hey, don’t touch me with that-”

too late. Jim presses it to his lip, dabbing gently. They stand in silence for a moment and the fight slowly leaks away. Leonard’s voice is quiet when he speaks.

“You can’t do these things anymore, Jim. You’re not some kid in Iowa now. You’re going to be a Starfleet Officer, and it’s time you started behaving like one.” With that Leonard turned and left him there, hand still clutching the bloodied napkin.

Jim didn’t follow. Didn’t tell him about the message he’d received that afternoon. Didn’t tell him that his brother Sam Kirk was dead. Instead Jim slunk back into the bar and paid his tab, apologized to the barkeep, and silently returned to his dorm.


End file.
